[Act 1, Scene 7, line 1-5]
“…If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well
It were done quickly; if th’ assassination
Could trammel up the conscience and catch
With his surcease, success, that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here…”
This extract shows Macbeth’s manner at the time, it is quick, fluid, and perhaps decisive. Macbeth is talking to himself, considering what he is about to do, and maybe even trying to make what he is doing it seem better, morally, than it is.
The extract above tells me that Macbeth is extremely worried about the coming encounter with Duncan. The extract is a few lines before he speaks with his wife, and that means that her influence is not holding him ‘still’. Without her, he seems to ‘fret’ over his conscience, perhaps telling us that he is still very human. I believe that he would not have even considered killing Duncan, if it were not for his encounter with the witches, and I think, from these points, that Macbeth is not essentially a murderer. To use a ‘cliché’ phrase, Macbeth is ‘misunderstood’. In the story, he is presented as somewhat of a ‘bloodthirsty killer’, but especially towards the end of the book, other sides of his personality reveal themselves, and he is shown as being something other than a murderer, perhaps even something that has enough dignity to resign itself to its fate, and to ‘go out fighting’.
This is a curious part of the book, Macbeth seems to retain some of his courage at this part, and due to that, he fights as a man. However, I have another theory. Macbeth has been told, earlier in the book, that he is basically invulnerable. One of his encounters with the witches shows this in great detail;
[Act 4, Scene 1, Line 93-95]
“Be Bloody, Bold, and Resolute: Laugh to scorn
The power of man; for none of women born
Shall harm Macbeth”
This statement is from the mouth of the witches. He has been told information before, in the form of premonitions, that came true, and he had no reason to doubt what the witches told him. It is my point of view that Macbeth has remembered this premonition. He believes that he cannot be killed by ‘man of women born’, and so regains much of his courage. In my opinion, this area of the book is not one that concentrates on Macbeth’s confidence, but Macbeth’s arrogance, and how his is so sure of himself, he is not even scared of death.
Supernatural themes are commonly found throughout the book, and the dramatic effects of using them are among the strongest in the entire book. Using ghosts, and apparitions in the play gives it a somewhat eerie feeling, and the goes on to affect how the characters interact. Each time Macbeth meets with either the witches, or some other supernatural element, he seems to change. It is obvious, from the start, that he is terrified both, by the prospect of murder, and the witches themselves.
Taking the second scene involving the witches [act 1, scene 3], it is obvious from this scene alone that the supernatural, used in such a method, creates some kind of void near afterwards. Shakespeare tends to fills that void usually, with confusion, or even conversation between the other parties involved (eg, Macbeth, Banquo), but even as he does, there is still some need for something more. This scene involves the three witches, Macbeth, and Banquo. This is the scene where Macbeth’s premonition, via the witches, comes to light, and it is shown that Macbeth will be,
“…Thane of Glamis…Thane of Cawdor…and King hereafter…”
Macbeth and Banquo are surprised by this, and that fills the void created in this case, but in others, the definition is not so clear, or obvious. At the time when this play was written, and originally performed, these scenes would have probably been something out of the ordinary. I avoid using descriptive phrases, such as ‘stunning’, because I am not sure that they would be entirely correct, however, it is just possible, that at the time, these plays would have been as stunning as modern day special effects (thinking of Jurassic Park, and other such films). I believe that the effect that the supernatural elements deliver in Macbeth, and other Shakespearean plays, is the same as in modern day special effects, an effect of awe on the audience, one that does stun them, but also one that they understand. In dramatic terms, I believe the supernatural elements of the play to be (to use a cliché phrase), the glue that holds the entire performance together. Without areas of the play, such as the supernatural episodes, or the murder scenes, it is likely that the audience would become disinterested. At the time of this plays original release, it was intended to be entertainment, it still is today, but it is a different type of entertainment. In Shakespearean times, a play like Macbeth would have been intended for the masses, as theatres like the Globe show us, via the presence of cheap standing viewing areas, however, nowadays this type of play has a very specific type of audience.
Television, being the modern equivalent of theatre, is comparable in terms of channels, and programmes. The audience might be watching a certain channel for a certain attraction, such as a film, but they would watch other programmes, on the same channel, merely because they are before or after the main attraction. In the same way, the supernatural elements are the main attraction, and therefore have a strong dramatic effect on the audience, and the reader.
Macbeth’s character is one of the main variables of the play. I believe the events that happen around him do change him to a certain extent. However, whatever changes do occur are ones that are based strongly around his personality, and how that effects other people. In other words, I believe that whatever changes occur to Macbeth are already present in his ‘psyche’, and only need a catalyst, such as the events of the play, to make any changes happen.
At the beginning of the play, Macbeth seems fairly normal. He is a Scottish Noble, a honourable, and powerful one at that, as well as being a warrior. He does not seem to be power crazed, or a murderer, at this stage. However, as the story progresses, it is obvious that he does change, and I will say why, as well. The first instance that is important is the 3rd scene of act 1. This scene involves Macbeth, Banquo, and the three witches. The witches, in this scene produce predictions about Macbeth, and Banquo, and it is from this original prediction that Macbeth has cause to change. The witches tell him he will be thane of Glamis, Cawdor, and King later. He is already thane of Glamis, and just after he has been told this information, Ross arrives with news of Macbeth being given ‘thaneship’ of Cawdor, as of the death of another thane. From this point, Macbeth does change.
As a direct result of the witches predictions, and the fact that, later in the play he tells his wife of the predictions, Macbeth changes. He becomes more restless, possibly consequential of the murders he (sometimes through assassins) commits. He also becomes more ruthless, not caring about lives he destroys, or even countries. He is ruthless in his quest for power, and that become obvious soon after he kills Banquo (via. assassins). Another thing he becomes, towards the end of the play, is uncontrolled, and (to use a phrase that is not ideal) perhaps mad, with grief at what he has done, and what he is going to do next. This revelation is not surprising, considering what he is done, and how he has almost completely ignored his conscience.
In conclusion, the play Macbeth is a complex, but decipherable production. Throughout the play, Macbeth does change, sometimes by great ‘leaps’, and I believe that I have shown that.
